The signs were there right from the start. Could a relaunched Boo.com, under new ownership and a new focus, ever succeed given its infamous past?
No, is the short answer.
Boo.com relaunched in May 2007 as a travel planning website by Web Reservations International, owner of Hostelworld and a string of other successful travel brands.
The idea was to create a content-heavy site with social features such as reviews and sharing, search and destination activity listings.
Given WRI’s Midas Touch in other areas, there was always a reasonable chance that a rejuvenated Boo.com might succeed. But the legacy – and some say, curse – of the original Boo.com was always going to hang over the newer site.
Lest the digital world forgets, Boo.com was one of the darlings of the UK dot-com boom of the late-1990s, selling fashion gear over the web and attracting reams of attention for its Swedish founders.
It famously went bust after spending an eye-watering $135 million of venture capital in just 18 months and collapsed just six months after its official launch.
It was widely considered one of the worst dot-com disasters of the period.
So the odds were stacked against the new, travel-focused Boo.com from the off, despite the domain names new owner and completely different strategy.
Given the fuss when WRI relaunched Boo.com in 2007, its not surprising that its recent closure was marked with similar fanfare – in fact, WRI confirms that Boo.com ceased to exist two months ago.
An official says the company wanted to “channel its resources” into its existing brands and the new BedandBreakfastWorld site, thus why the axe quietly fell on Boo.com in October last year.
“WRI’s analysis of online travel consumption shows that there is a greater propensity for consumer to engage with websites that offer, not only user reviews, but also a means to process and complete a secure booking.
“WRI’s goal is to continue to meet the ever-changing needs of the budget conscious traveler and to emulate the phenomenal success of Hostelworld.com in the growing B&B market.”
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Cursed name indeed. Do remember the hoopla around those Swedes and their ultra hip site! The key insight to me is their first sentence in the announcement. TripAdvisor a few years ago probably realized that just offering reviews was no longer enough and the close integration with a booking functionality is essential for a successful model. Hostelworld should combine those two as well on their main sites. No need for a separate site, one with a cursed name to boot.
Hostelworld already does combine the two on their own website, and has done so for years and years. If anything I think they’re taking the mickey at TA with that sentence; clearly the user experience is better on booking sites like HW than TA’s hacky ‘pop up 5 windows with each search’ setup…
When it relaunched I must admit to being surprised by the model they were attempting.
Wonder if it’s for sale?
@chris – we’ve asked the question already…
I sincerely doubt it will be for a year or two. The link value in the domain is probably worth more to HW than what others are willing to pay for it just now.
@Sam – did it actually rank for anything travel related? Can’t say I ever came across it.
I’d come across it from time to time. But either way the number and diversity of inlinking domains has value. Changing the owner on a domain name ‘resets the link value’ according to Google statements in the past, so the value to WRI is higher than to a buyer. But hey, if someone was willing to cough up a few million in 6-12 months time, I’m sure the owners would consider it
Google has never said changing the owner on a domain name resets any link value.
Content on the other hand…
Matt Cutts apparently made this statement at Domain Roundtable in 2008. But it might very well have been related more to expired domains than domain transfers, as I haven’t seen much evidence of active domain buys hurting the site.
Either way, the value in the short to mid term is still higher to WRI than what a buyer would be willing to pay I’m guessing. The content isn’t really relevant in this case, as boo.com was just hw content copied over to begin with. What’s been added there through the years is likely insignificant compared to what was added to hw in the same period.
As a bona fide ex-boo.commer (the original Swede-loving sort) and follower of news of the various companies that have tried to make a few pennies out of relaunching duff sites and knowing they will continue to get (less and less) PR out of it every time (did anyone actually cover this latest death apart from the travel industry rags?), I can tell you that that domain will not get millions of Pesos, let alone dollars.
Get over it already, most people don’t even remember. That said, I’d give them £100, just for old times sake.
Boo will be back. Three letter URLs never die, they just sit around waiting for the next “revolutionary” idea
I just received an email from a Brian Davis claiming to be Boo Travel Senior Manger offering me a job as a travel consultant in the U.S. Company web site http://www.bootravel.com. After reading they went out of business in October I think someone is trying a scam as it is offering payment of over 6k per month but the catch is they want you to open a bank account with a zero balance in your name to make deposits. I think I am going to have to pass on this offer.
@lori – i wouldn’t be so dismissive. Boo.com in Ireland is a very different entity from Bootravel.com in the US, a travel agency website.
The information sent me states BooTravel LTd located in Netherlands and website is bootravel not boo.com — plus who would ever ask you to open up a new bank account with a zero balance.
Hi Lori,
Did you ever find out more about this? The same thing happened to me and I am also skeptical. How can one be hired at such a salary without an interview?
Hello Sheryl and Lori,
Same happened with me and hoping to get an answer soon. I agree with you both , I had so many questions which is what brought me to this site. Can you even open an account with a zero balance and can we speak to anyone? Hmmmmm, wondering aloud.
If it seems to good to be true it is more than likely fraud. I just sent a no thank you response to the email. I agree you do not offer that kind of salary without interviews and checking references, etc. No, you cannot open a bank account with a -0- balance that I am aware of most banks wants a minimum deposit to open an account — another sign that something is not right with this email. Hope people find this site before finding themselves a victim of this scam!!!
I just got the following information from CareerBuilder. This is a scam:
CareerBuilder is committed to providing our users with the best possible job search experience and regularly reviews postings on our web site for quality assurance. During a recent review, we identified a listing that was not actually posted by the client company with whom we contract. Therefore, we are reaching out to job seekers who applied to the position titled [Travel manager, customer care, planning]in[US]on[26 Jan 2011]in order to advise them that the job and any related communications may be misleading. All further contact with individuals associated to the position should be ceased.
For more information about Online Fraud, we do offer a Fraud Page for Jobseekers:
[ http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Info/Fraud.aspx.
Suspected fraudulent scam email messages can be forwarded to the FTC at spam@uce.gov. Internet Crime Complaints can be filed at [ http://www.ic3.gov.
We also recommend that users visit[http://www.OnGuardOnline.gov], which provides practical tips from the federal government and the technology industry to help you be on guard, secure your computer, and protect your personal information.
Thank you for your attention.
Regards,
Trust and Site Security Team
Hello Sheryl, Lori and Mel,
I received this email as well. Did you also recieve the attachments with the job description? I tried to reach Brian via phone (the numbers listed on the website are actual contact numbers) but have only been able to leave voicemail messages. I think I will send this one to the authorities and have them to check it out. I’ve got enough going on in my life right now without the possibility of being caught in a scam! I’d like to know if you’d be interested in sending your information to the authorities as well so that they can at least check this out.
I received the same email from Brian Davis and there is a website for the company. Bing search engine will get you there. On the official description for the job it says that the company was founded by 2 people one of which was a CEO of Travel Atlantics. I searched their names and found nothing and when I searched the company name a very sketchy website came up looking like it was just created. I also searched an international phone directory and found no listing for Boo Travel in Netherlands. I am going to reply to the offer asking for an advance on the salary as well as the name of one of their previous clients. I have a side business and all of my previous clients are willing to endorse me and Boo’s clients should be willing to do the same. I am hoping this is legit but I am pretty sure it is just a scam…damn that money would have been nice! Good Luck to all!
Tamara,
I believe we all received the same as you did. I myself did not call I more expected to hear from Brian directly. Anyone who was not going to see me for 7 weeks and hiring blindly without so much as a formal interview was very questionable and I believe struck a nerve of caution in all of us. I would let it go Careerbuilder has all but said they are a fraud (See Lori’s post above). Good luck in your future job search maybe we will all meet again! However, if you do proceed with alerting the authorities please update us!
Thanks for all the info, Lori. Just received an email from this Brian Davis regarding a job offer. Just to good to be true so I researched about it and found your comments. This helped me a lot.
Yes they strike again!
Just received this from Mr. Davis: Did anyone else?
Subject: Attention Please
Brian Davis [grandtouristt@yahoo.com]
Good morning.
First of all our company is not a part of scam or fraud.
Our job post was made from sub-user account which is registering with one of primary account at CareelBuilder. We are ordering job posts in one of recruiting agencies.
You could get the notification from Careerbuilder about our job posting.
Also in the notification from CareerBuilder there are no words or proofs that our company is part of scam of fraud. It’s usual notice from CareerBuilder.
We are in business since 2005.
Our reputation is pure. We don’t have negative words from our clients. And we appreciate each man who contacts to us.
I ask you, don’t do hasty conclusions.
No one of our clients had any complaints to us before.
We are ready to search for the compromise and to create comfortable conditions for you.
For example, we are ready to send you salaries using the bank checks. And you will not need to provide details of your bank account online. But in this case you will be ready to wait when the clearing of the first checks will be finished.
We have prepared process of interview online. Boo Travel decided to include you in a short list only. You are not the employee of the company.
JOB ACCEPTANCE:
By signing and dating this letter below, I, type your first name and last name, accept the job offer of Travel Manager with provisions: being able to ask questions, being able to stand behind what I offer and or keep the promises made to my customers.
Mel, I received the same email and then also another email still trying to get me to sign up. I sent email back and cc: spam@uce.gov and told him not to contact me again. Notice he also changed his email address. Feel sorry for anyone that falls for this scam.
Thank you for putting this up I was very skeptical myself and I wanted to know more about this because it really did sound too good to be true. I’ve just sent the correspondance to CareerBuilder and I’m quite glad to have found this info here. It’s invaluable. I just had a feeling that this company reeked of SCAM.
Me too but ‘Brian’ claims to have found my resume via MONSTER.
Thank you for posting this feedback. I too received the same scam job offer and have sent an email in response to say thanks but NO thanks.
Shame on people who have no soul that they can scam people when they are searching for viable employment.
I also received an email from Brian Davis from Boo Travel along with another email from a different company I forgot the name I spammed it. This is a scam. They found my resume in the public forum on MONSTER apparently. Its very disturbing and misleading when you think a potential employer is actually interested.
Thank God for bringing me across your comments because i just received an email from Brian Davis about the same job opportunity, as desperate as I am to find a job i found his job description to be very questionable and the salary was just unbelievable, i actually sent Davis a reply saying the job does not much my criteria and he resend me a mail with the attachment saying the schedule is flexible but i try googling the website and nothing came up besides some information about the old Boo.
During my search earlier i came across another comment like this about this job offer from another website .. i am going to paste it for you guys to see it for yourselves…
PAmatt
Member
I got a reply from BOO Travel LTD that seems too good to be true. Has anyone else heard/gotten a response from this company? I tried searching the web and there is hardly anything that comes up
thanks
Posted 1 week ago Permalink
PAmatt
Member
This is a scam. I’ve received 4 BS emails from ‘Brian Davis’ in the last day
Posted 3 days ago Permalink
BrianDavis
Member
To PAmatt6:
I think you are able to discredit other companies ONLY.
You don’t have proofs that our company is part of scam of fraud.
I can add your resume to the blacklist of employees and every famous employer will know who you are really.
I am so grateful for coming across your comments because it helped alot
Just received this email from Brian, since I didn’t respond to his first as the Google machine has never even heard of this company. I called the phone numbers on the website and the voice message is the phoniest American accent ever! I recommend giving it a call for a good giggle.
Good morning.
I am very sorry, if I waste your time. But I try to perform my duties. If you are not interested in creation of career with our company, write me about it.
First of all our company is not a part of scam or fraud.
Our job post was made from sub-user account which is registering with one of primary account at CareelBuilder. We are ordering job posts in one of recruiting agencies.
You could get the notification from Careerbuilder about our job posting.
Also in the notification from CareerBuilder there are no words or proofs that our company is part of scam of fraud. It’s usual notice from CareerBuilder.
We are in business since 2005.
Our reputation is pure. We don’t have negative words from our clients. And we appreciate each man who contacts to us.
I ask you, don’t do hasty conclusions.
No one of our clients had any complaints to us before.
We are ready to search for the compromise and to create comfortable conditions for you.
For example, we are ready to send you salaries using the bank checks. And you will not need to provide details of your bank account online. But in this case you will be ready to wait when the clearing of the first checks will be finished.
Our servers are registered in the Netherlands officially. Also I can provide you screens of our business account and our Paypal account. Our financial actives are registered with the largest bank in the USA. And I can prove it to you.
We have prepared process of interview online. Boo Travel decided to include you in a short list only. You are not the employee of the company.
JOB ACCEPTANCE:
By signing and dating this letter below, I, type your first name and last name, accept the job offer of
Travel Manager with provisions: being able to ask questions, being able to stand behind what I offer and or keep the promises made to my customers.
Date:
Signature:___type your first name and last name_____________________________ Date:___________type today’s date____
Write to my NEW YMAIL please. This address has been created for new candidates . Just reply to this message. Okay?
Thanks for your understanding. Brian.
I actually responded to this one. I have a bit of time on my hands so I am going to look into it a bit further.
Wow, it seems many of us have been receiving the exact same email and responses. I also got the notice from Careerbuilder awhile back, but I tried to be hopeful and too had time to check this out. I was unsure as well in the beginning and said I will give it a shot by filling out the application and questionaire as long as it’s not asking for my personal identification. So far Brian Davis has not besides name and address, which I didn’t see harm. Like you all he sent the 2nd part of the job process which was to sign the contractual agreement and bank info, which is a bank account number with $0 balance. I was able to do that with a student checking account at my bank, so I sent him the bank account number. He just sent me the final email earlier today stating that I’m almost finish, but in order to get started I will need to send him a credit card (no expiration date or security code) just the card number, so that he can deposit $3350 for me to get the fingerprint laptop and security software as this laptop is secured to work for the company. He also sent me screenshot of Boo Travel bank account as verification. But I read above that someone said Boo Travel closed down in October? I replied if the laptop is mandatory and if I can purchase it myself on my end and he just send me the reimbursement? Why would I have to send you my credit card number if you are depositing the reimbursement. I told him purchase on my own and send me the reimbursement. So now, I’m waiting on the reply.
Please if anyone knows more of this, please let me know. I am about to go close out the bank account.
Thank you!
I haven’t quite gotten what I want. Please just give me your credit card number so I can drain your account!
See…it’s pretty easy to say you are somebody that you are not.
I thought that the reason for creating a bank account was to deposit money into. A bit odd that he can’t just put this money in there. Hmmmm.
You should turn this into the IC3.
If this helps anyone, this message came from Careerbuilder in response to this company.
TSST@careerbuilder.comHello
subject[AB-C402552V] Re: Important notice from CareerBuilder regarding your recent application
1:35 PM (17 minutes ago)
Thank you again for contacting CareerBuilder’s Trust and Site Security Team.
This is a payment processing scam message. This is a spoof email and should be disregarded and deleted at this time.
INFORMATION REGARDING ONLINE FRAUD
For more information about Online Fraud, we do offer a Fraud Page for Jobseekers:
http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Info/Fraud.aspx
ONGUARDONLINE.GOV
We also recommend visiting http://www.OnGuardOnline.gov, which provides practical tips from the federal government and the technology industry to help you be on guard, secure your computer, and protect your personal information.
Also, if you the google address, 86a Steinweg Utrect, from the website, it shows a location in the middle of an intersection with no building even close!!! Doesn’t show any indication that the street even contains numbers that high. The highest street number I could find correlating to an actual building was #72. Too bad…. This idea of booking the “requested itinerary” for wealthy clientele to give them exactly what they want sounds like a great and potentially lucrative idea. Right up MY alley!!
Boo Travel Sca,?? Did you happen to hear anything back from them?
Anybody of you has not provided any proofs that our company is part of scam. Your imagination is primitive. You are able to write disgusting words being online. And your resumes will be added to the black list of employees and your inadequate comments too.
Hi Abby,
Nothing as of yet, did you also get the same laptop message?
O.K. This deal with Brian Davis and Boo Travel sounded to good to be true and the fact of the matter is it’s just a SCAM! I was contacted by Brian Davis Senior Manager of the so called Boo Travel and offered a job. Of course I was skeptical because of it’s location and the money being offered without any interview or was of contact other than thru the internet. I was notified by the authorities that Brian Davis using the name of Boo Travel has sent out many conterfiet checks. THIS IS A WARNING IF YOU HEAR FROM BRIAN DAVIS OR BOO TRAVEL DO NOT RESPOND AND CALL YOUR LOCAL AUTHORITIES NOW.
I also responded to a job posting on CareerBuilder for a travel manager. This is definitely a scam. You will notice you cannot email this Brian Davis directly he opens the communication using your email to him. I contacted the Netherland version of the BBB no such BooTravel. The phone numbers listed are just Voice Mail boxes. I was also asked to open a new 0 balance account. At 1st it was for monies to be deposited for deposits, etc for what I don’t know. Then there were funds for “components” which I guess was suppose to be computer equipment. I was actually FED EXed a check which he said was orginating in the Netherlands but guess what it got to me in less than 12 hrs…no way possible. So did not accept the package and never heard from the Brian Davis again.
Mr Davis I have some very nice swamp land I’d like to offer you for sale….how could you scam hard working people like this. I reported this to the Florida States Attorney